For more information:
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP National Director 314 566 9790 cell
Troy Gray of Vail, SNAP Colorado Director 970 376 2753 cell
Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP Outreach Director 314 862 7688
A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is criticizing Pueblo’s District Attorney for apparently abruptly ending his brief investigation into sexual abuse allegations against a former Catholic cleric, William Mueller, who faces civil molestation lawsuits in at least three states.
Leaders of SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are upset because DA Bill Thiebaut has closed his probe into Mueller’s alleged crimes (http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1129192401/6)
Mueller has been repeatedly accused of molesting male students at Roncali High School in Pueblo in the 1960's and 1970's, sometimes using chemicals to knock his victims out before assaulting them. He's also being sued for abusing boys in Texas and Missouri as well.
“DA Thiebaut needs to use his bully pulpit and his resources to investigate these heinous crimes,” said Barbara Dorris of St. Louis. She is the National Outreach Director of SNAP. “No child abuse case is easy or straightforward, but closing this egregious case so quickly essentially tells child molesters that if you can terrify a child into silence you can get away scot-free.”
“We believe that ˜where there is a will, there is a way,” said Dorris. “DA Thiebaut can either passively sit back and wait for the phone to ring, or he can be assertive and work hard to find the victims, witnesses and resources needed to perhaps get a dangerous man locked up.”
Prosecutors across the country, she said, are carefully examining statutes in their jurisdiction and finding tools that will allow them to prosecute older sex crimes. She pointed to a recent Missouri Supreme Court ruling that enables sodomy cases from the 1960s and 1970s to be pursued, because of a quirk in state law during those years.
“This more assertive approach not only allows the victims to find justice, it protects kids from these dangerous predators”, Dorris said.
SNAP’s letter points out several “more aggressive and resourceful and creative steps” some law enforcement agencies have taken recently to prosecute alleged molesters including:
- a Dayton case, in which the statute of limitations on child sex abuse had run, but in which prosecutors successfully charged an alleged pedophile priest with providing alcohol to minors and other lesser offenses,
- four Detroit cases in which pedophile priests were prosecuted because they had left the state, which sometimes causes the statute of limitations to be tolled or suspended,
- the use of grand juries in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Long Island to look at potential charges against (SNAP has publicly urged Denver prosecutors to launch such an effort),
- the use of state attorney general investigations into clergy sex crimes (Maine and New Hampshire), and
- a Bristol County, Massachusetts prosecutor who publicly named ten alleged abusive priests, even though pursuing their crimes was barred by the statute of limitations.
October 28, 2005
Mr. Bill Thiebaut
10th Judicial District Attorney's Office
201 West 8th St. , Suite 801
Pueblo, CO 81003
Re: Criminal Investigation of William Mueller
Dear Mr. Thiebaut:
We are very disappointed about your recent decision to cease the criminal investigation into horrific child sex crimes by William Mueller, especially after your initial determination that the statute of limitations had not expired.
We are not attorneys and do not presume to dispute the substance of your conclusion. At the same time, we are troubled that you made this decision so quickly. We would have hoped that you would first have
- at least tried to talk with Mueller directly, knowing that often sex offenders do confess when confronted,
- used your office to prod other victims and witnesses to come forward and file formal complaints against Mueller.
These steps might help you find others who were hurt but are still within the statute of limitations.
Delving into and disclosing these heinous acts are not only cathartic for Mueller's victims. But there is also the possibility that Mueller may have committed crimes for which he may still be prosecuted under Colorado law. For example, Mueller might well be guilty of kidnapping in the second degree, which is not subject to a limitation of action under Colorado law.
We do understand that your office has limited resources and that you have a duty to allocate those resources wisely. But we also believe that concluding the criminal investigation of Mueller at this point is premature and may actually foreclose the possibility of prosecuting this man who has committed unspeakable acts against children within your jurisdiction.
Across the country, in situations much like this one, we have seen more aggressive and resourceful and creative steps taken recently by some law enforcement agencies to prosecute alleged molesters including:
- a Dayton case, in which the statute of limitations on child sex abuse had run, but in which prosecutors successfully charged an alleged pedophile priest with providing alcohol to minors and other lesser offenses,
- four Detroit cases in which pedophile priests were prosecuted because they had left the state, which sometimes causes the statute of limitations to be tolled or suspended,
- the use of grand juries in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Long Island to look at potential charges against molesters (SNAP has publicly urged Denver prosecutors to launch such an effort),
- the use of state attorney general investigations into clergy sex crimes (Maine and New Hampshire), and
- a Bristol County, Massachusetts prosecutor who publicly named ten alleged abusive priests, even though pursuing their crimes was barred by the statute of limitations.
We implore you to think long and hard, instruct your staff to dig deep with their research, urge any potential victims and witnesses to come forward, and do everything within your power to find ways in which children might be safeguarded from Mueller and ways to hold accountable any church or school officials who knew of or suspected his crimes but remained silent.
If you have any questions or would like to speak with me further on this issue, please feel free to call us anytime at 314-566-9790. Thank you for your time and consideration.
David Clohessy
National Director of SNAP
St. Louis,
314 566 9790 cell
Troy Gray
Colorado Director
Vail, CO
970 376 2753 cell
Barbara Dorris
SNAP Outreach Director
6245 Westminster Place
St. Louis, MO 63130
314 862 7688
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